Too much of an awesome thing

The Book of Awesome - Neil Pasricha

Opening Line:"Polar ice caps are melting, hurricanes swirl in the seas, wars are heating up around the world, and the job market is in a deep freeze. Whoa. It's getting pretty ugly out there."

 

The Book Of Awesome is a really fun idea. Its also a very pretty book, makes a great gift and is being marketed like crazy, I mean its everywhere and yes there are a lot of things included here that made me smile however it really reads better in list form and I’m sure most people did like I did and just skimmed through, reading the chapter titles of familiar relatable happy things that you don't often stop to appreciate and moving on.

I mean honestly do we need 4 pages explaining why having a whole row to yourself on an airplane is awesome (that really is awesome) but I don’t need a breakdown about being able to pee when I want, having elbow room, able to lie down, cocoon in a blanket or having the choice of aisle or window. I get it. The same goes for popping bubble wrap. Yup that’s fun, maybe even awesome but after reading 3-4 pages about its invention and the different ways to pop it, not so awesome anymore.

When someone lands on your hotel in Monopoly super awesome but then when we get a detailed description of Monopoly you’ve now lost my attention and I’m moving on to bakery air, snow days and the other side of the pillow and I’ve stopped reading the essays on the whys.

This is a feel good book that will make you smile and is fun to read out loud with friends because everyone can relate but at 400 pages (!) the long winded explanations and filler killed the awesomeness for me.

Entries include: Old dangerous playground equipment, Wearing underwear just out of the dryer, Being the first table called up for the dinner buffet at a wedding, Watching The Price Is Right when you're home sick, When the vending machine gives you two things instead of one, The first shower you take after not showering for a really long time, When cashiers open up new checkout lanes at the grocery store, Sleeping in new bed sheets, Waiters and waitresses who bring free refills without asking, Finding an old mixed tape, The moment at a concert after the lights go out and before the band comes on stage, Fixing electronics by smacking them, The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk, and hundreds more.